Barney's Version

Watch Trailer

A sweet, poignant and sometimes funny story of one f**k-up's journey through life, if you're not welling up by the final credits of Barney's Version, your heart must be made of stone. Paul Giamatti's moving performance as the inexplicably successful in life (and love) lead character is complemented by a scene-stealing Dustin Hoffman, as well as a cast of stellar supporting players. What's more, they also smoke and drink more than the entire cast in the first three seasons of Mad Men combined.

Giamatti plays Barney over the course of thirty-odd eventful years of his life. The film opens on him in the present day as a lonely and isolated old man full of regret. His story is told predominantly through flashbacks, as he sits at a bar drowning his sorrows and revisiting his past, and although he's been married three times, the old man always goes back to the woman he believes is the love of his life.

It's difficult to imagine anyone else playing a character through such a long period of his life and doing so believably - you never question the constant back-and-forward jumps in time, such is the strength of Giamatti's performance. Sure, the make-up is subtle and exceptionally realistic, but Paul Giamatti is one of those thespians who make acting seem effortless. Barney is the role of a lifetime for him, and is both wonderfully written and acted. A layered, multifaceted but selfish man, Barney's not a million miles away from a Seinfeld character - yet he grows throughout the film, learning from his mistakes and his regrets, just like you or I would.

Because of its structure and the passing of decades, Barney's Version does require patience at points, and when Barney does get the woman he so desperately wants, it moves a little too quickly. There's a long build-up, but little in the way of allowing the viewer to indulge in his resulting happiness. That said, director Lewis knows that he has a heartfelt and winning script. He was smart with his casting across the board; he finds a tone, lets the cast play, but always returns to Barney's face when he's in contemplative mode.

It may not beg for a cinematic viewing, but Barney's Version is a genuinely lovely film boasting a top-drawer performance from Giamatti, and a hilarious supporting turn from Dustin Hoffman.